


Seven

by carnationmilk



Series: The love lasts long [1]
Category: Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016), Teen Titans - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Childhood Friends, Childhood Sweethearts, F/M, Fluffy, Mother and kids moment, Protective Damian Wayne, Save Damian Wayne, There's a slight mention to domestic violence, and cheesy, but other than that it's all sweet as honey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:49:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28329273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carnationmilk/pseuds/carnationmilk
Summary: Damian was 7 years old when he saw Raven for the first time, with her face hidden between her knees, crying against a tree. He continued on his way until, after four days, he decides to approach without knowing yet that the girl with blue-violet eyes, would be his most precious friend. "Everything will be fine. I promise you will not cry again once you live with me" Damian assured her. "Cross your hear!". In the end, the love lasts so long.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne, Raven & Damian Wayne, Raven/Damian Wayne, Talia al Ghul & Damian Wayne, Talia al Ghul & Dick Grayson
Series: The love lasts long [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2109699
Comments: 11
Kudos: 80





	Seven

**Author's Note:**

> This story is inspired and based in the song "Seven" by Taylor Swift, from her album Folklore.

_Please, picture me in the trees_

_I hit my peak at seven_

“She has been crying for four days in a row now” thought Damian to himself while approaching the pale girl, with a full thermo under his arm, still doubtful about what to do, thinking over and over how he agreed to do such a thing.

°~°~°

_“No one can cry that much, can it?” He asked his older siblings_

_“She’s probably a ghost.” said Jason, one of his older brothers._

_“Maybe she saw your face and cried?” said his brother Tim, without taking his eyes out of his video games._

_His sister Cassandra only lifted her shoulders and let them fall in answer to his quest._

_He was about to reach his older brother, Richard, when Alfred, his butler, carried him and took him to the kitchen, placing him on the counter kitchen._

_“Your friend is clearly upset, Master Damian”_

_“She is not my friend, Alfred.” he said, pouting._

_“If you have seen her cry three days in a row then she is now an acquaintance, and you know what is the gentle thing to do in such situations?” Alfred said at the same time as he started pulling out some pots and species._

_“Not going back to the park?”_

°~°~°

He reached the girl’s side, waiting to be noticed, but he wasn't and her cries didn’t cease eaither.

“Here” he said while sitting next to the girl, pouring a hot liquid in a plastic cup and handing it to her. She stopped crying and looked at him in awe. “Social protocol states that when someone is upset, you offer them a hot beverage, such as tea” Damian repeated the words his butler said to him the day before.

The girl wrapped her small hands around the hot cup. A shy smile drawn on her face when feeling the warmth in her hands. “Thank you”

Both kids sat in silence looking around, not pretty sure what to say or do next.

“What is this? It’s delicious”

“Earl grey. But it is a special mix my butler made.” The little girl's eyes opened wide.

“You have a butler? Wow.” her eyes turn melancholic while looking at the beverage in her hands. “Is so warm…” she mumbled with a thread of voice “And does your butler prepare this everyday?”

“Yes. Tea and a lot of different kinds of food.”

“That 's nice. I like it, I like it a lot. Thank you.” she said with a bigger smile on her face, hugging her cup tight to her heart. They remain in silence for a few moments.

“What’s your name?” she asked. Damian was about to sip on his tea but stopped and look at the girl, thinking about his answer. He was a wealthy boy, and his parents had taught him not to say his personal information just like that, although the little girl didn’t seem like a threat, but if someone knew he was there he might not be able to come back there. He stuttered. The girl ladderd her head, waiting for an answer. A few meters away, the boy noted a colorful bird in the distance.

“I’m Robin” he said, although when saying it outloud it didn’t sound as clever as he thought it would. He turn to look at the girl to see if she’d bought it and was amazed by the bright eyes she was giving him

“Really?!” She said almost in a scream getting closer to him with great excitement. “My name is Raven! I always thought my father was crazy by naming me like a bird, but your father must be as crazy as mine. I’m not alone!” She gave him a wide smile, allowing Damian to see the gap where one of her milk lateral incisors used to be.

Damian felt strange, but in a good way. He was no prince charming; bringing tea to a stranger was not something he would have done on a regular basis, yet he did it. When seeing Raven, all alone in the middle of the trees crying, all alone just like him, he knew he could not turn a blind eye to it.

“Thank you, Robin” Raven gave “Robin” a tender smile and he felt his ears starting to burn. He stood up instantly, both ashamed and confused with his reaction, turning his back to Raven. “I have to go” he said abruptly, Raven nodded and followed to sip the last drops of her tea.

“Will you come back tomorrow?” She handed him her cup. “If you bring tea again, I can bring some cookies my mom just baked.” 

“-TT-” He turned to see her only to meet with her wide smile again “Alright”

“Cross your heart!”

-

_Sweet tea in the summer_

_Cross your heart, won't tell no other_

Days passed, and both kids continued meeting each other in the park. Everyday he would take a different tea and she would bring homemade cookies or stolen candies from her older brothers, and they would sit on the grass, sharing their treats.

One day Raven got scared when a big German Shepherd ran right straight to them, she froze in terror, squeezing her eyes as tight as possible, afraid of the dog’s attack, but there was no impact. She opened her eyes and found Damian petting the big animal while saying, very quietly “You are a good boy”. Damian loved animals.

-

After a few days, they started moving around the park. Some days they would take a walk, maybe play by the swings, maybe climb a tree or two. Suddenly, for Damian, the crowd didn’t seem to bother him when he was with Raven.

A clear, sunny afternoon, Raven lead Damian to the highest peak in the park

“That is my favorite spot from the park.” She said pointing out the top of the hill before turning, with her hand shadowing her eyes, protecting them from the bright sun “Even from here, you can see almost the entire city!” said pointing out the horizon with the tall buildings “It’s been a while ever since I climbed up here.”

“Why haven’t you come?” Damian asked, reaching her side.

“I don’t like coming alone. My mom used to come with me but... “ unconsciously, she grabbed her arm and even her whole body tense at a not-so-old memory. She looked at her arm, as if searching something, but when she realized there was nothing, she shook her head, trying to pull away the thoughts. Damian noted this and was about to reach for her when words came out of her mouth. “My dad doesn’t like my mother being out of the house.” she gave him a smile, rather different from the ones he was now used to. _Forced._ But he wasn’t sure if he should mention something about it. Instead, for his own surprise, he rather shared a personal thought.

“Well, if it would’ve depend on my parents to come here, I wouldn’t have ever placed a foot in here. They are barely around, or… even in the same room”

Raven looked at him, amazed by the confession, since he had barely talked about his family. 

“Is that why you are upset, too?” Damian stood there, his eyes traveled to the green grass beneath them. He was sad. Her heart ached seeing him for the first time so vulnerable. Without saying a word she grabbed his hand and started running to the top of the hill.

“Our tea is getting cold. Let 's hurry!”

They drink a lot of tea as well as they ate a lot of stolen candies. They run upside down, roll down the hills and change their heartbreaks into bellyaches, the consequence of all the laughs they gave to each other.

As the hours went by, they lay on the green grass, recovering their breath. Raven started pointing out the shape of some clouds. “... and those are two birds. They are like us!” Damian stared at her not quite sure what she was meaning “They are bird-friends. We are bird-friends” her smile widened. Friends. It was the first time someone called him that, at least willingly and so carefree. He smiled as he felt his heart warming up by those silly words. 

“It’s late,” Damian said after a while, once the orange sky started turning red, yet they didn’t move. They lay there feeling the fresh breeze in their skin as the grass tingled their arms and legs, seeing from beneath. “They are so tall. I hope one day I can get to climb to the top of those high buildings”

Damian smirked “These are nothing compared with the ones in Gotham. Have you ever been there?” Raven shook her head “I will take you there one day. It has the biggest skyscrapers and stores. Everything you ever wished or wanted can become true there.” Raven’s eyes widened and Damian’s chest puff in pride talking about his hometown “And is that true?” the little girl asked “Do you think my father will stop being mad in a place like that?”

“Anything you want can happen there. People get mad with happiness, that’s what my father always says. Your father will only be mad with joy. Cross my heart” Damian said while gesturing a cross with his finger in his heart, Raven's smile grew, showing off the gaps in her tooth, making Damian smile back. He liked her smile a lot.

They started gathering everything up and saving it into their backpacks, the ones they started to carry in order to bring anything to make their meetings more comfortable. Raven folded the napery and Damian collected the thermo and cups when suddenly, a great idea crossed his mind.

-

_And I've been meaning to tell you_

_I think your house is haunted_

_Your dad is always mad and that must be why_

Two days later, Raven missed their implicit daily meeting. Damian waited for two hours, he stood there like a lost puppy, turning his head around every time he’d heard a step or a laugh. But Raven never showed up. With cold tea, Damian returned home alone, worried sick about what happened to his bird friend.

Bored, alone and with the heart on his throat, he vagued around the house, like a soul in sorrow. 

He tried to play video games with Tim, but it was all too easy. 

He went to see Cass, his big sister, at her ballet practice, but the Pas de deux from Swan Lake suddenly made him feel such dreadful despair.

He then tried joining Jason at the library, but for whatever reason, he was reciting Hamlet’s soliloquium.

“To die, to sleep--

No more--and by a sleep to say we end

The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks

That flesh is heir to…”

Scarcely had he opened the doors room when he listened to his brother perform with such passion, he decided that was not the place to cease his pain. And so the only place left was his oldest brother’s bedroom; Richard.

There he was, a secondary student, studying on his summer break while stretching. When noticing his presence Richard turned on the TV for him to watch, out of cotidianity.

He sat on the floor next to him and tried to watch the TV, but there was nothing interesting there. He started zapping until he gave up and started looking at his big brother's homework.

“What are you doing, Richard?” 

“An essay.”

“Why?”

“I’m practicing”

“Is summer”

“I know.” said the teenager without paying that much attention to the little kid who started pouting, desperate now of not being able to entertain himself or find some peace. Luckily for him, his brother noticed it, and left his notes on the side for a moment. “What’s wrong Dami?”

“-TT-” He crossed his arms.

“Are you bored?”

“-TT-” He turned his head away.

“I heard you were upset today.”

“-TT-” and so, he let himself fall on his back.

“Is there something you’d like to tell me?” Said while laying next to the boy, who didn’t take too long to tell Dick how his friend abandoned him that afternoon.

“So are you upset because you didn’t get to play with her or because you are worried about her?” Damian clicked his tongue again and turned his back to his brother in response, not quite understanding the feelings inside of him.

“She is… my friend” finally said.

Dick, thought for a moment to himself, searching for the right words. Although his little brother was still young, only 7, he didn’t know how to make friends nor how to express his emotions and as much as he wanted to tease him, he knew better that was not the moment.

“Well, If she’s not feeling good you should give her something to comfort her. What do you say if I take you to get one of those cupcakes mom bought last time? And if she doesn’t show up again I will take you to the zoo. Sounds good to you?” The little boy turned his head first and proceeded to face once again the teenager just to nod in agreement but still not quite convinced.

“What is it, kiddo?”

Damian sat “And what if she’s mad at me?” it was very subtle but Dick managed to notice a shiver in his voice.

“Did you do something to upset her?”

The little boy proceeded to tell Richard about Raven's father who was always mad, yelling at her and her mother, making her feel sad. Which led him to offer her Alfred’s mix of tea to prepare to her father so he would no longer be mad.

“What if her father got mad again and now she is angry at me?” Dick stood there, picking his next words wisely.

“Alfred’s tea is quite tasty, so I don’t think he would be angry about it.”

“But what if he is?”

“Then you know what I think is the problem?” Said searching something in a drawer on his desk

“What?”

“Probably… her house is haunted, or worse” Richard talke with a spooky voice making Damian raise a brow unimpressed “her father is possessed by a demon”. said pulling a small lamp and placing it under his chin, making him look kind of creepy. Damian rolled his eyes.

“Do not patronise me, brother.”

“Hehe I’m serious. Why would he be mad at his own daughter? It is a scientific fact that there are forces that habit in some places and alter the energy whenever they are.”

Damian thought about it for a second before nodding. “Ok” he said before taking the remote again and focusing on the TV. Pleased with the response, Richard returned to his studies. A few minutes passed when Damian talked, his sight still on the screen “Are mother and father possessed too? Is that why they are always mad at each other?” He finally looked at him.

Dick was not sure how to answer, it wasn’t a secret that their parent’s relationship, once great and powerful, was now dysfunctional and weak. They have moved temporarily to San Francisco three months ago as a peace sign, trying to run away from the crazy life they had at Gotham. “It will be like holidays, my children '' said their mother, Talia, to them, yet ever since they arrived, their parents' marriage started to crumble in front of their eyes, and though it was hard for all of his siblings, Damian was clearly the one having the hardest time. 

“Can I be honest with you?” He crossed his legs, in a lotus position and lean to Damian “I haven’t told this to anyone, but since you already notice it, I will tell you” Damian nod with his eyes wide open “I think the house is haunted” Dick whispered “With very angry spirits, and they possessed mom and dad. And sometimes Tim” Dami’s mouth formed an O while everything started to click in his head.

“And Jason? I’ve seen him talking alone all the time and reading Shakespeare”

“Yes. Yes, especially him. You know that most of Shakespeare plays were enchanted by witches” the little boy nod again “But don’t you worry, I’m pretty sure we will return soon to Gotham and we will be ghostfree”

His brother’s word sowed a seed of hope in him. Everything would be better.

-

_I think you should come live with me_

_And we can be pirates_

_Then you won't have to cry_

_Or hide in the closet_

The next day, Damian and Richard parted earlier to buy the promised cupcakes. At 4 o’clock they arrived at the park. Dick stayed a few steps away, waiting with the dessert.

Damian was a bundle of nerves. He could feel his hands sweating and couldn’t stop moving. Dick was convinced that from his anxious walk, he was going to open a hole in the floor that will lead him to China.

Ten minutes passed. 

Dick was starting to worry his little brother would end up broken-hearted once again. Luckily for him, the worries faded when they heard small steps running.

“ROBIN!” Robin? 

“RAVEN!” Raven? Were they talking with code names?

Dick didn’t have that much time to think about those nicknames when he saw his brother run towards the pretty girl. He sighed relieved while looking at the two kids met. He was more than happy to see Damian showing that much excitement, meanwhile the girl didn’t stop bowing, apologizing. 

His work here was done.

“Hey!” He called the kids attention and as if they had forgotten the world existed, they both turned shocked, Damian took the backpack Raven was carrying, grabbed her hand and ran towards his brother.

“Richard, this is Raven”

“Hi!” She said enthusiastically 

“Hi Raven, nice to meet you” he kneel in front of the kids. “So, _Robin..._ ” Dick emphasize the name looking at the young kid, Damian’s eyes wide up realizing that his identity was discovered, “Was very worry about you and he bought you this” said placing the small box with 4 colourful cupcakes in front of her and smile when seeing a blush creeping over Damian’s face while Rave hugged him.

“Thank you! Ouch!” The two brother’s stopped at the girl's complaint, seeing her grab her arm, which was folded from her wrist to her elbow “You are hurt, what happened?” Damian worries came back again and started to feel the guilt at the pit of his stomach.

“I…” Raven hid her wound behind her. “It’s okay, Raven, you can trust us” Dick gave her a tender smile. Raven, still insecure, put her arm forward. Her sight went from Damian to Dick and returned again to Damian. When catching her emerald eyes he smiled at her, she let herself drown in his eyes. It was magnetic, and without thinking it too much, the words fell out of her mouth. 

“I prepared my father the tea you gave me” she gave Damian a truly grateful smile “But he got mad before trying it and… I got burned” Dick was still thinking what to say to her confession when Damian started talking “I’m sorry” his eyes filled with tears “I was the one who suggested you to do that, and now you are hurt…” Raven hugged him before he could continue.

“It’s not your fault.” she pulled apart to look at him “Don’t cry! I did cry a lot when I got hurt, but my mom prepared me more tea and I thought of you and I feel so much better.”

“Then I will bring you more tea, so you won’t feel bad again,” Raven nodded and smiled. Dick was amazed by the bond the kids had developed. For every rip, there’s a patch, he thought.

“Hey! Dam-Robin, why don’t you invite Raven and I’ll take you both to the zoo?” Damian’s eyes bright up “Raven, let’s go to the zoo”

The girls' eyes shine bright for an instant before losing their spark at certain thoughts “Oh, but I can’t, I have to be early today or my father…”

A shiver ran down Richard’s spine at the thought of what could happen to the girl “Hey, it’s okay! What about this…” he paused for a moment “I’ll go take a stroll while you eat your cupcakes, and then I’ll take you to get some popcorn and cotton candy and you’ll be back before dark, does that sound good to you Raven?” The little girl approved the idea and whispered something to Damian’s ear, he nodded in agreement and opened the cupcake box and handed Dick one before running to the hills. 

It didn’t take long for the kids to devour their sparkling muffins. Once over, they run towards Dick and part to buy the promised supplies. One bag of popcorn, one big purple-green cotton candy (since none of the kiddos could decide which color to pick so the seller ended up offering a mix color cotton candy), and two apple box juices latter, the little birds, baptised by Dick, went back to their spot in the hills.

As the night arrived, the friends parted their separate ways

“You sure you don’t want us to take you home, Rave?” the girl shake her head “Thank you”

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Damian added, looking at the cover wound in her arm, worried about not seeing his beloved friend the next day. Raven smiled and with her index finger she drew a cross in her heart followed by her arms crossing in front of her chest “Cross my heart!” Damian imitated the gestures in response while Raven started running to the opposite side of the park.

The way home was calm and peaceful.

“You should tell her your real name, she seems nice”

“Tomorrow I will” was the last thing Damian pronounced before falling asleep on the back seat holding tight to his chest the empty therm of tea. Richard ended up carrying his little brother up to his bedroom. 

After tugging Damian in his bed, he walked to his bedroom, with Raven in his mind. He could feel a knot in the it of his stomach wondering all the possibilities the dark-hair girl could be in. 

He stopped his walk. Should he do something? What could he do? Maybe he could ask Alfred and…

“Dhanyawad, fir milenge” just like a beacon of light in the middle of the storm, the strong yet soft voice of his mother pulled him back to earth. He opened the door and sneaked into his mother’s home-office. She was sitting on a black chair behind a grey desk that would make her look smaller than she was, yet, paradoxically, she looked like the most powerful woman in the world. “Shiva, I just closed the deal with the Indians. Make sure everything is set up tomorrow morning.” Her olive eyes shined bright.

Richard closed the door behind him and Talia lifted her sight to him, gave him a small smile and with her hand she gestured to him to approach. Richard moved forward and stood in front of her desk, Talia covered the phone with one hand “What is it, my child?” 

“I’m sorry I just, I wanted to ask you something” very quickly, she uncovered the phone and spoke in chinese to the person on the other line. Switching languages was a very common practice of her when she was excited, which was mostly when doing business, or scolding him or his brothers, or when saying beautiful love words that they could rarely understand but could feel at their core. “I’m in the middle of a very important call, my dear, but as soon as I’m done I’ll go see you.” She won’t, he knew it, and the glimpse of hope he had a few moments ago started crushing his heart with deception. He sighed in resignation but handed half a smile to his mother before starting to walk to the exit. 

Talia saw him starting to walk and found herself thinking when was the last time one of her kids approached her like that and felt as if someone had just thrown a bucket of cold water toher. “Shiva, please give me five minutes and I’ll call you back” she hung the phone “Richard” she called and he turned surprised and saw her index finger move back and front, as a signal to get nearer to her. “If I can not give my children five minutes then I’m a failure as a mother. Tell me what can I help you with”

He then spilled the situation of Raven, having a violent father and suddenly showing up with a burn in her arm. Talia listened carefully and stood in silence after he was done. She laid back with an arm around her waist and the other one covering her mouth “So, you are telling me you do not consider she is in a healthy home and might be in danger around her father. Is that right?” Dick nodded confident. She sighed, “This is some serious accusation, my dear. And what exactly do you wish for me to do?” 

“I-I don’t know” he looked down feeling defeated, was he overreacting? Maybe he should mind his own business. “Richard” Talia called and he looked back at her, she studied him with a steady face. As tender as she could be, she could also appear to be made out of stone sometimes. After a few moments, she softened her expression and smiled “You did the right thing, my son.” she standed up and approaches Dick, placing her hand on his arm. “Thank you for coming to me, I will see what I can do.” With these words, Dick felt the weight fall down out of his shoulders, Talia gave him a kiss on his forehead and returned to work. 

Everything would be alright now.

-

Next day, right before leaving the house, Alfred stopped Damian “Master Damian, I will join you today on your crusade” and so they parted. But to Damian’s surprise, Alfred didn’t leave the car, and waited the whole afternoon until the kids were done with the food and out of energy.

That afternoon, Damian told Raven the truth about his real name,

“But you trust me now?”

“Of course I do, cross my heart” said the little boy drawing a cross in his heart with his index finger and then crossing his arms in his chest. “No more secrets then. Cross your heart!” and both children repeat their gesture at the same time and smile.

After that, they started packing their picnic, at the sight of that, Alfred reached them. When Damian saw him approach from the distance, he shouted to Raven “THAT’S MY BUTLER”

“I am Alfred Pennyworth, miss Raven” said the butler to Raven who would look at him excitedly “You are the tea maker!” And spent the next 2 minutes praising Alfred’s work. 

“I appreciate very much your kind words Miss Raven, I will gladly send you more tea whenever you request for it” the girl smiled in return. A few minutes after packing everything again, the little birds were saying goodbye when Alfred took Raven’s backpack and carried it. “Allow me miss Raven, but Madam Talia demands me to drive you home from now on” Raven froze to those words and tried to persuade the butler not to do it.

“I insist miss, at least let me take you somewhere near home.” Damian nodded in agreement with Pennywise, Raven hesitated but ended up agreeing. The three walked to the parking lot, Damian was already jumping in the car when Alfred intervene “Master Damian, the chauffeur is here to take you home while I’ll drive Miss Raven” 

“But I want to go too” 

“Mistresses orders, Master Damian, she is expecting you back home” the kid pouted but walked to the other car that had appeared just a moment before. Alfred opened the back door for Raven and she entered admiring the luxury car. 

Raven told Alfred where to go, they moved to the opposite side of the city and Alfred was amazed to discover that Raven was eight years old and at such a short age she would take a long ride just to get into the park. She was indeed a clever girl. Raven dropped out of the vehicle a few blocks away from her home, and from the distance, Alfred followed her.

~°~°

_“I need to find out what’s the situation to be sure before I can make the call. I trust this to you, Pennyworth”_

~°~°

Talia’s wordS echoed in Alfred’s head. He needed to be very careful in order to get all the information he was requested.

From that day on, Alfred took little Raven home, and would send the chauffeur during the day and night to inspect the place.

-

_Pack your dolls and a sweater_

_We'll move to India forever_

  
  


Against Alfred’s best wishes, just a few days after starting watching Raven’s home, he found himself in the middle of a dreadful situation. Cries, screams, vessels thrown and the neighbours, oh, the neighbours passing by as if it were a common situation. How long has this been going on? Alfred was afraid of answering that, and as much as he wanted to intervene, he stopped himself and instead made an anonymous call to the police.

Next day, they found Raven already there. Same place, same time as the first time Damian saw her, crying, with her head hidden on her knees, against a thin tree.

Damian, leaving everything behind, ran to her, Alfred followed him from a small distance, taking the kid backpack with him.

“What happened, Raven?” the girl cried harder. Damian ran to Alfred and took his bag and started pulling out everything he had.

“Here, have some tea!”

“I brought cupcakes again”

“Do you want to draw? I have paper and colors”

But the cries would not cease.

“Master Damian, sometimes when people are upset, all we can do is make them company” said quietly to his ear. Damian then ran to her side and sat down with her. He then put his hand on her shoulder and whispered “there, there”.

Damian found Alfred with his eyes, and the butler decided to step back and let the kids have that intimate moment. Once he left, Damian passed his arm in Raven’s back and rubbed her back, making her cries starte to cease, but when touching certain parts of her skin, she would complain in discomfort.

“It hurts” she mumbled, Damian started pulling back his arm, afraid of hurting her, but she took his arm instead. “Hold me” she sobbed as she lay her head on Damian’s shoulder, and stood there letting time go by. Once Raven calmed down, Damian pulled out a tissue out of his pants pocket and handed it to Raven, who covered her face completely with it. Damian went for the therm with tea and served a cup, she grabbed and took a deep sip to the beverage. He sat down in front of her and thought whether or not to spill the words in his mouth.

“Was your father mean to you again?” Raven nodded, still cleaning her tears. Damian frowned. “-TT-” and clicked his tongue with anger, Raven stopped to look at him “Your house is haunted, so starting tomorrow you are going to live with me” he sentenced. Raven’s eyes widened. “What?!”

“Pack your all the essentials! And a swimsuit! Richard says we will be back in Gotham soon, so you’ll need it to swim in our pool. But while we are still here you’ll have to share room with me, but my room is big so it’s okay”

“Are you serious?” 

“Completely. You have to leave your house as soon as possible, although Richard said that our house might be haunted too, but once we are back at Gotham everything will be fine. I promise that you won’t have to cry once you live with me.”

Raven’s tears dry completely, and they spend the rest of the afternoon talking about their future plans living together and how happy and bright their life would be.

“We should visit India! My great grandma was born there! My mom says it is a beautiful place full of color” said the purple-eyed girl.

“My mother knows there, she also has some relatives there, and you know what else?”

“What?”

“They have the best teas in the world!” Raven clapped excitedly “So we’ll move to India forever!”

“To India”

The sky turned purple when the kids said goodbye with the promise to meet again.

But tomorrow never came.

As Raven arrived home, she found a woman dressed in a suit with her mother and a case next to her.

My mom can read my mind as she has our bags ready, she thought, but her destination was not the Wayne house. 

-

Damian arrived the next afternoon to the park, same place, same time, but Raven didn’t make it, nor the next day or the day after. Raven never showed up. Damian was a very serious boy who knew and understood how to behave, he had never made a mess while growing up, but in his seven years he played the biggest tantrum of his life. Thrown at the floor, crying and yelling, demanding Alfred to take him to Raven’s house to look out for her. 

As a fallen angel Talia arrived at the kitchen where his younger kid was. “Damian, stop tormenting Pennyworth. I will take it from here, Alfred, I apologize for my son.”

As if it were a feather, Talia lifted Damian up the floor, the kid clinging with his arms and legs to her mother while crying. The mother took her son to her office and sat on the couch, placing Damian on her lap.

“I’ve been told that your friend has no longer shown up” said pulling out of nowhere a tissue and wiping away her son’s tears “Is that why you are upset, Damian?” he cry harder. 

Talia placed her hands on Damian’s face and looked him in the eyes “Breath, Damian, count with me” together, mother and son, breath deeply several times, never losing contact with the other. “She is my friend” said the kid once the tears stopped running and he was breathing regularly. With one hand, Talia caressed his cheek.

“Is okay to be sad, to feel anger, joy, fear. But it is not okay to torment Alfred that way, right?” the little kid pouted and looked away “Right?” he nodded, looking ashamed. “Whenever you feel a lot of emotions you come to me, and we’ll work it up together” Damian looked at her and nodded and finally a very small smile appeared on his face while Talia hugged him tight. 

They stood there a few moments, “As for your friend” Damian pulled back looking at his mother’s face while she placed a hand on his head and stared playing with his hair “My dear, you know how parents have to protect their kids” she paused and look at the kid “but you know, sometimes, they don’t. There are times in which parents hurt their kids willingly, and that will never be okay.”

“Not even when you yell at Tim for staying up too late?” 

Talia smirked at the memory of that “Not even when I yelled at Richard for hanging from the chandelier, my love. And even though I might yell sometimes, I would never hurt them. However, your friend…”

“Raven”

“Raven was living in a place where she wasn’t safe.”

“Because of her father?” Damian asked, worry started to sound in his voice. Talia nodded and felt the body of Damian froze in fear for a quick moment before the kid jumped out of her lap “I have to go for her!” he shouted. Talia followed after him and grabbed his shoulder making him turn around to face her. She kneeled to look at him in the eyes and smile.

“She is okay, Damian. Thanks to you my beautiful clever boy. Raven and her mother were taken to a safe place, far away from her father, he nor anyone will hurt them again however... “ she heaved a sigh “In order for her to be safe, she might not be able to come back here. At least not anytime soon.”

“But we couldn’t say goodbye” Talia hugged him “I’m so sorry, Damian. You were a great friend, and thanks to that, she is in a better place now”

”I should’ve given her more tea” silent tears started running through his face “She liked Alfred’s tea mix and vanilla cupcakes.” Talia hugged him one more time and let her child cry in her arms. “I miss her” he whispered. “I know, my sweet boy.” They stood there in silence for a few moments.

“Why don’t you draw something for her? I have always loved your drawings, I bet she did too, did you show her your art?” Damian agreed with his head. “Well, if you draw her something, she may see it one day, and even if she does not, you would have materialized all your love and that way, the love will be passed on. Just like a folk song.” Damian stood there wondering about the veracity of his mother’s words and the picture of Raven crying, the first time he saw her, came to his mind along with the memories of their time together.

Her giggles at the tea parties.

The warmth of her hand the first time she grabbed his when running up the hills

The wind in her hair when swinging in the swing.

The gap in her teeths.

His first friend.

“I need my fancy crayons” Damian ran to the door ready to go collect his tools, but stopped suddenly and turned to his mother “Can I stay with you while I draw?”

“Of course, my love. I’ll meet you at the library” Damian smiled and ran out to start his art.

All of his memories were plastered in his sketchbook. Two weeks after, the Al Ghul- Wayne family returned to Gotham. One year later, Talia and Bruce filed for the divorce and Damian’s sketchbook hid itself in the Manor’s Wayne corners.

As time went by, the little kids grew older and both Raven and Damian never forgot about the bond and the feelings they had developed on those august days.

Even though he would forget about the gap between her teeth, and she would forget the sound of his tongue clicking. But every now and then, they would search that friendly look, seeking for comfort and peace in the middle of the crowded cities. 

Nevertheless, even though they had forgotten each other’s faces, the love and friendship they sow that summer, it grow and bloom inside them and stood there, forever.

-

_Love you to the Moon and to Saturn._

10 years later

“So, out of everywhere are you really going to Gotham? I mean, look at this place! Metropolis is great, Raven!” a blond-curly boy said pointing out at the city in front of them

“I know. I love Metropolis but…”

“But?”

The dark hair girl looked at the buildings, the sky, drawing everything with her eyes as if trying to print it in her mind. She smiled, _“Everything you want you can find it there. You will only be mad with joy there.”_

“If you say so. But I still think you should stay.”

“I’ve already been accepted into Gotham University, and it's also not that far, you know?”

“I know”

“I will come to visit, you”

“Promised?”

“ _Cross my heart_.”

  
  
  
  


_Passed down like folk songs_

_The love lasts so long..._

**Author's Note:**

> Happy holidays, everybody! I hope that you find yourself safe and sound, as we all already know, this year has been a hell of a rollercoaster, but in the middle of it I found myself needing to write this little tale and share it with you. I pour my heart in it, a story for my child-self and older-self, but also to all of you. Even though this is not a Christmas/Holiday story, I hope you can feel the love through it and maybe, somehow, it has given you some kind of comfort or well thoughts as it did for me while writing it. In this extraordinary year, I wish you all well, lots of love, and tons of health. This fic is for you, I hope you enjoy it. 
> 
> Have beautiful holidays and a Happy/Crappy New Year!


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